Additional or updated Letters can be purchased for $1.00 each at the Probate Division, 515 5th Street, NW, Room 314, Washington, DC 20001, or ordered by mail. To order by mail, complete the Copy Request Form and mail with check payable to “Register of Wills.”
File a motion for an extension of time before the filing deadline or a motion for an enlargement of time if the filing deadline has passed. A Pro Se Motion form is available on this website. The motion must state how much additional time is needed and the reasons why additional time is needed.
Letters are valid until the guardianship or conservatorship is terminated; however, some organizations and/or institutions may require Letters to be updated or recertified if they are more than 60 days old.
Generally, Letters are issued within two business days of the filing of the Acceptance and Consent and bond (if required).
The guardian must visit the ward once a month unless the Court orders otherwise.
It depends upon the person’s relationship to the case and the kind of hearing that is being held. The ward, guardian, or conservator should attend unless counsel advises them not to do so. Hearing notices are sent to all persons interested in a proceeding so that they are kept informed of the progress of the proceeding. If the person who receives the notice has information important to the proceeding, that person should attend and present the information to the Court.
All guardians and successor guardians appointed in INT cases on or after July 1, 2009, must file a Guardianship Plan within 90 days of appointment.
If a ward has disappeared suddenly, the disappearance should be reported to the police. If the ward has been missing a long time, a report may not be necessary. Consult your counsel regarding the choices that are best for your situation. Methods of finding the ward include the following: checking police and hospital records, checking with the District of Columbia’s Homeless Outreach Services, homeless shelter rolls, churches and other charitable organizations aiding the poor, Social Security and Medicaid records, bank records, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Vital Records, morgues, the prisoner locator service, the ward’s family and friends, the internet, and search firms that specialize in searches for missing persons.
A guardian has a legal duty to act in the ward’s interests to ensure that the ward receives the care that the ward needs and lives in an environment that is appropriate for the ward’s needs. At times, performing this duty involves taking actions for the ward’s best interests that the ward will not like. Sometimes, a petition post appointment can be filed when there is a need to settle a dispute between the guardian and the ward. If the relationship with the ward has become irretrievably broken, consider filing a petition post appointment to resign and allow the Court to appoint a successor guardian. Consult counsel for advice.
No, both co-guardians should be working together for the welfare of the ward and should sign one report if possible.